Delegates to Council in April voted to broaden the definition of eligibility for membership in CAUT. A new category of "federated associations" was added to allow membership for associations that contain both degree granting and non degree granting institutions.

"New degree granting institutions are being created across Canada and many of these are in community colleges that are already members of provincial faculty and staff associations," said Jim Gaskell, president of the Confederation of University Faculty Association of British Columbia.

"It is in the interests of all CAUT members that the academic staff at these institutions have the same protection of academic freedom and collegial governance structures as have the established universities," added Gaskell.

"The erosion of academic freedom and collegial governance at a college becomes a precedent for governments to erode these at universities by threatening to move resources from the university sector to the college sector."

Bill Graham, then president of CAUT, stressed the importance of CAUT fighting for academic freedom, good working conditions, and collegial governance for all academic staff regardless of the institutions in which they work and regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time.

Delegates also voted to admit graduate students as associate members and to make associate membership available to "academic staff and private scholars not currently employed in a university or college."

A new associate membership fee of $29.40 a year also was established for contract academic staff, for whom membership is not available through their local associations.